The social media nation

In response to The Social Media President:

Obama, to his credit as a political technician, understands the value of these manufactured social media moments.  A heroic, sad photo his adoring followers can pass around will do a lot for their flagging morale.  Maybe they’ll even be able to forget how their rock-star President is forcing them to sit in airport terminals for hours as part of his Sequester Terror comedy act.

Speaking of the power of social media, a little while ago the Twitter account for the Associated Press got hacked, resulting in a Tweet that claimed two explosions had occurred inside the White House.  Debunking came swiftly, and the AP Twitter account was shut down… but not before the stock market dropped over 100 points.  

The market recovered equilibrium quickly after the fake news debris was cleared from the Twitterscape, but the image this conjures of trading floors teeming with social-media junkies surgically attached to their smartphones is unforgettable.  It was once said that gossip was the only force in the universe that could move faster than light.  Thanks to social media, it has achieved warp speed.